Valby Summer Jazz: Copenhagen, Denmark, July 6-13, 2013

Part of the success of Valby Summer Jazz has been that Koppel and Werner have consistently been able to deliver great names and living legends and place them in new and often successful constellations, but the festival has also invited groups that have been together for a long time. This was the case at last year's festival where Brian Blade Fellowship played a formidable concert, and this year saw the invitation of the all-star group the Cookers.

It wasn't mentioned in the program, but it was actually a trimmed version of the group and unfortunately, this proved to have a negative impact on the sound. With their brass-heavy lineup that almost resembled a mini big band, the Cookers were a perfect match for this year's theme of "Big Band and Choir," but there was a missing ingredient: Saxophonist Craig Handy, who is an important part of the group's sound, wasn't present, which left Billy Harper as the sole saxophonist.

Normally there is a balance in the horn section between trumpeters David Weiss and Eddie Henderson and saxophonists Handy and Harper, but with Handy left out, there was a fundamental imbalance in the set-up, and the late arrival of the group must have resulted in a less-than-satisfying sound check, because the sound came across as muddy and bombastic. While Harper was buried in the brass, his playing nevertheless stood out, and he provided the compositional highlights in the shape of "Croquet Ballet" and "Priestess" with soulful playing and infectious themes.

With players like pianist George Cables and bassist Cecil McBee, there is certainly no shortage of great players in a group that truly qualifies as an all-star line-up. Unfortunately, bad sound and balance ruined the first set of a concert that felt like a routine performance from a group that didn't live up to expectations. One was inevitably reminded of the proverb that "too many cooks spoil the broth." Nevertheless, the group's records show that it definitely has something to offer together, and this was just a bad day at the office.

While the concert with the Cookers proved to be a disappointment, one of the festival's absolute highlights was the meeting between saxophonists Benjamin Koppel and Joe Lovano playing an entire concert on their mezzo-soprano saxophones made by Peter Jessen, who was also present at the concert.

In a talk before the concert, Koppel emphasized the instrument's connection to the sound of the clarinet and Lovano talked about the air flow and the fact that the instrument takes more air and cannot be played as fast as a soprano saxophone. Both of the artists were clearly in love with the instrument and had engaged in a lifelong journey of finding their own identity on the instrument, and the concert proved that they had come very far.

It might be that the instrument doesn't allow playing as fast as a soprano saxophone, but tempo certainly wasn't the issue at the concert where Koppel and Lovano could play at high speed, but always retain a transparent exquisiteness in the way their melodic lines intertwined. Both of the saxophonists have a deep knowledge of classical music and jazz tradition, and in a chamber setting with Werner and the rhythm section of bassist Palle Danielsson and drummer Audun Kleive, they delivered third stream music of the highest order. A perfect example of the merging of the two worlds was Koppel's composition "One, Two, Three, Four" that combined an infectious rhythmical motif introduced on the bass by Danielsson and complex breaks and baroque lines.

Lovano contributed two excellent compositions, "Journey Within" and "Blessings in May," both taken from his recent album Cross Culture (Blue Note, 2013), but there was also room for the advanced "Boss Town" from Flying Colors. However, it was pianist Kenny Werner who provided the highlights with two sublime ballads. On the brooding "Go There and Roam," Danielsson played with bow and Werner raised his hand and chanted wordlessly while pouring out breathtaking harmonies and melodies.

As an encore, the group played the beautiful "Ballad for Trane" with Werner echoing the harmonies of the great saxophonist and, of course, it couldn't have been more fitting that Lovano, one of the best post- Coltrane saxophonists, played on a tribute to the master, but Koppel was certainly also up for the task and engaged in his trademark symbiotic playing with Werner.

On "Ballad for Trane," Lovano switched to his characteristic tenor saxophone. It would have been odd if the tribute to tenor-player Coltrane hadn't been played on that instrument, but overall, Lovano's signature instrument wasn't missed at all. Instead, the warm, woody texture of the mezzo-soprano added new colors to Lovano's musical vocabulary and together with Koppel and the rest of the group, he reached perfection. This was a meeting that deserved to be remembered and hopefully also committed to record.

I love jazz because it rewards careful listening. Jazz can be as deep and complicated and deep as classical music, but with a sense of modernity and FUN. It swings!
My parents listened to jazz a little bit

I love jazz because it rewards careful listening. Jazz can be as deep and complicated and deep as classical music, but with a sense of modernity and FUN. It swings!
My parents listened to jazz a little bit. Then in high school I got a crush on my best friend's older brother, who was a huge jazz fan. He turned me on to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew (which was also the first album I ever bought) and the rest is history. I've met many musicians. It's a joy to live in NYC where there is such a vital community and lots of interaction between players and audience.
The best show I ever attended was... God, there have been so many great ones. My absolute favorite might be the John Lurie tribute concert at the Town Hall. Was it 2013 or 2014? I've been a huge Lounge Lizards fan since the '90s, and many of my favorite local musicians are graduates of that band. It was a joy to see so many of them come out and show their love for John Lurie. Even though he doesn't play sax anymore, he is still a presence. There was so much LOVE in that show. And since the Lounge Lizards don't perform anymore, it was a treat to hear their music live again.
My advice to new listeners... JUST KEEP LISTENING. If you're used to repetition and easy hooks of rock or pop music, you might find it challenging at first to float along with the unpredictability of jazz. But the rewards are worth it! You will learn to listen actively, not passively, and as you tune your mind into every note, texture, and harmony, you'll begin to listen to music in a new and different way. At the best live shows, it's almost a meditative experience for me. My mind just trips out on the music. It's pure bliss, even if the music is abrasive or
challenging.
Also, don't be afraid to LISTEN TO ARTIST YOU'VE NEVER HEARS OF BEFORE. The greats like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, etc. are famous for a reason. Their music stands the test of time. But there are so many young artist pushing the boundaries and creating their individual style. You might not love every show or album you listen to, but you'll discover so much. Jazz is not a museum piece--it's a living, breathing art form with almost infinite possibilities.
Finally, if you love the music, PARTICIPATE IN THE ECONOMY. Buy some new CDs instead of streaming everything. Go to live shows and pay the ticket price. Even if it's donation only and you can sneak in for free, remember that most of these artists have years of training and have devoted themselves to an obscure art form out of pure love. Playing music is their job. You get paid for your job, and musicians deserve to get paid too.